Producers from the hit TV musical talent show “American Idol” will be at the Illinois State Fair next week looking for the show's next recording star.

The Fox television show will conduct open auditions from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 8 and 9 — the first two full days of the state fair — at the entrance to the carnival midway, state fair manager Amy Bliefnick said Thursday.

American Idol's visit to Springfield is part of a new series of auditions being held at county and state fairs. The tryouts are in addition to the traditional auditions held in large venues in bigger cities.

Illinois' fair is the second stop on AI's fair circuit. The San Diego County Fair hosted the first stop in June.

All eligible fairgoers between the ages of 15-28 will have a chance to audition, according to a news release from the show.

Participants can bring a musical instrument to audition but may be asked to sing without it.

The show's celebrity judges will not be in attendance at the Illinois State Fair, a spokeswoman for Fox said. Instead, “American Idol” producers will screen the talent in Springfield and will decide which performers will qualify for additional rounds of auditions in another city on a future date, when they could get a chance to receive the so-called “golden ticket” to the Hollywood round of the competition.

“American Idol Live,” featuring the top 10 performers from the last season of the show, is the Grandstand entertainment on Aug. 8.

Elsewhere at the fair

Fair officials on Thursday also previewed other events, attractions and deep-fried food people can find at the 162nd version of the state fair, which kicks off Thursday night with the annual “Twilight Parade.” The fair then runs for 10 full days through Aug. 17.

The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and its prize attraction, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, will have a spot in the Governor's Tent to help people do family research, said Amy Martin, director of the agency.

There will be two computers dedicated to genealogical research set up with library volunteers to help those who want to do research.

Page 2 of 3 - A Lincoln re-enactor will be at the tent from 11 a.m. to noon each day to pose for pictures with fairgoers.

The Governor's Tent also will be showing a different Illinois-themed movie daily.

At the Illinois Building, IHPA will team with the 42-county Looking for Lincoln Coalition to provide living history exhibits and demonstrations.

Martin said there will be a “Wheel of History” where people can win prizes by correctly answering questions about history; a holographic Lincoln giving his Farewell Address to Springfield; and a bean bag game for kids.

Outside the building will be a Civil War encampment, a full-size Conestoga wagon and period activities such as weaving. And, of course, a daily dose of Lincoln.

Thursday's preview event was held in Happy Hollow, once home to the fair's carnival.

Bliefnick said the carnival won't be returning to that location, but a family-friendly park atmosphere soon will.

She said Illinois Green Industries last year came up with three designs to transform Happy Hollow, “to make it more like a family park, where people can sit in the shade and enjoy music.”

There's no shade yet, but workmen were busy landscaping a prairie garden with stone rails for sitting to be completed by opening day.

Bliefnick said she's looking for sponsors to help complete the three- to five-year project, which will include a permanent auditorium with bench seating built into the hillside.

‘Essence of livestock'

Many of the fair's favorite areas such as Conservation World will again be present, and popular events like the husband-calling contest will return. Bliefnick said the Crossfit competition will expand to two days this year.

New for 2014 is a celebrity showmanship contest where eight to 10 celebrities will show a steer.

Bliefnick noted that the building that housed the Illinois wine competition and wine sampling has been torn down. The wineries will be in a tent this year, but a new building will be erected by the 2015 fair, she said.

The State Journal-Register and the fair are co-sponsoring a new contest for food vendors that will include a “people's choice” vote.

The first Golden Abe's Fantastic Fair Food Contest is from noon to 2 p.m. Aug. 7 at the state fair's Administrative Office. Any vendor selling food at the fair may enter the contest, and local chefs will judge the entries.

Fairgoers may select their favorites through “selfie” photo submissions during the first weekend of the fair. The winner of the people's choice award will be announced Aug. 11.

State Agriculture Director Bob Flider welcomed the arrival of the fair.

“Soon the essence of livestock will be in the air,” he said.

Page 3 of 3 - Larry Moffett of Mount Zion, whose family has exhibited livestock at the fair for 60 consecutive years, said the Illinois fair is “one of the largest and most competitive” in the country.

“If you're at the top of your class at the Illinois State Fair,” he said, “you'll be competitive nationally.”